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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

sprouts and arugula pesto

I really appreciated how encouraging and interested you all were in my latest project: the spring cleanse. Returning to a macrobiotic diet has been exciting. The limitations have rejuvenated my creativity in the kitchen. I'm trying all kinds of new things and remembering old favorites. For instance, I haven't sprouted garbanzo beans since the good ol' days when I managed the (now gone) vegan Garden of Eatin' Cafe (Marin, Ca.). We had a constant tub of red lentils and garbanzo beans soaking/sprouting for a signature salad we offered. There are so many resources online that I didn't have access to in those days. Here's a bunch of sprouting ideas I'd like to try out: Quick and Easy sprouted bean recipes. If you'd like to do some of your own sprouting, check out this post. I still really love all of the info at Sprout People, and they give great instructions for sprouting everything, including assorted beans. Sprout bonus: kitchen science with children!

Increasing the amount of raw foods I consume, feels like an obvious next step. Local farmer's markets are getting in gear and foraging in the backyard yields plenty of raw edibles. I also had to do something with those gorgeous greens/arugula my neighbors gave us. Pesto!

Arugula Pesto

Toss into the food processor:

a bunch of greens

a few glugs of cold-pressed olive oil (maybe 1/4 cup)

small clove of garlic

little handful of raw walnuts

squeeze of lemon juice

umeboshi plum paste or sea salt to taste.

Blend until it's smooth and creamy.
I served it on carrot "planks". My kids are pesto lovers, and I wasn't sure if they'd feel this stacked up to their favorite original version. They ate them all with gusto! I'm happy to have an alternative until our basil crop grows. Exposing children to new and varied foods keeps their taste buds open to eating adventures and minimizes the "picky" ruts that so many fall into. I always find finger foods to be more enticing when introducing something new... no matter what the age group.

What a great idea, Maya. It would have never occurred to me to make arugula pesto. I got so hungry that I went to see all of your food shots. They are fantastic. Wish I could eat anything right off your little flickr stream.

Becky (Attilio)- unfortunately canned beans have already been cooked so they don't have the same properties as dried beans... they can't sprout. Check out the links for where to buy sprouting legumes. Mine were just from the bulk section of my health food store. I love mung and alfalfa sprouts, too!

thanks maya. then i'll just use the canned for my hummous...everyone just loves it...i live in malta, so i guess i'll just go to the greengrocer and get some dried beans;-)) think it would be too expensive to ship beans heehee.but will try them for sure. thanksbecky

Yummy sounding pesto on carrots. I never thought of that. I studied Macrobiotics for awhile. We still incorporate it often, but not as strictly or often. I saw ume paste and thought, that's not an ingredient you see everyday. I will definitely give this a try.